The Vast and Cinematic Pop-Rock of Neon Pilgrim
A new album from Neon Pilgrim delivers a very lush soundscape that most certainly sits in the cinematic pop-rock area, but is also progressive, deepening, and has beautiful layers that have a particular way of building massive atmospheres that invite you to swim along with them.
This record definitely breathes a lot of amazing guitar tone that does come through in these textural layers and feels thick and sort of expansive, but it also consists of keys that are normally throughout the record, used as a sort of orchestral background, which helps build some of the emotional aspects of the record really well.
The album is called Invisible Things, and it kicks off with the track called "Florida", which starts introducing you to that vast and cinematic soundscape in such a great way, because you can hear that the emotional aspect of the songs, along with a lot of the lyrics, all come from some authentic place.
This is a great track because it's less rock and more flow. It's got this natural and forward-moving filmic flow that feels good to listen to. And the layers of the song can be peeled back as it unfolds.
There's something about this that feels anthemic as well.
By the end of the track, you're pulled into the sound. You are a part of the world that this record delivers, and because of that, it's a perfect song to sort of open up the record with.
"All The Colours" follows this track, and this one gives you a bit more of a rock edge. The guitars are a bit heavier, the beat is stronger, and there's a slight alternative underbelly to it, while still staying very ambient or spacious as well.
It's cool because that vastness I mentioned earlier is there throughout almost all the songs. It's a bit of a theme throughout the record. It makes things feel almost dreamlike.
This one also features some amazing piano work that adds a completely different tone to the song at certain sections, and it does an amazing job of breeding elements of color throughout the edginess.
The vocals are very melodically driving. There are all kinds of hooks and melodies, sometimes even in the verses, that are insanely memorable.
Songs like "Heartbeat" are the ones that really showcase more of that pop sensibility. Don't get me wrong, there are bits of pop throughout the entire record on most of the songs, but songs like this one put that pop on the forefront.
As the record unfolds, you get the sense that it's almost like a concept album. The songs have ways of connecting with each other, and they feel like chapters in someone's life. A lot of them tell stories from a personal perspective, and that gets you drawn in as well.
It's got this brightness and tone that is warm and inviting.
One of the most memorable, catchiest, and spacious sort of singles off the record is probably one of my favorite tracks called "Creature".
There's something somewhat nostalgic about it. It's not musically nostalgic. It's not like the songwriting is bringing me back, but more the lyrics. There's something about the lyrics of this track that feels like it could have served as the soundtrack to a chapter in my own life, and I really connected with it.
The main course is also really addictive, and they put this together with such attention to detail but still with a lot of that emotion and heart involved.
This is a record that's got character and heart. These are key elements as to why the sound comes through the way it does. This is why everything feels so genuine.
You can tell that these things came from some real place and time.
The whole thing is also quite elegant. Yes, it's a rock record; it's got a lot of the spaciousness going on, there are some edgier tracks, there are some dreamy tracks, but all in all, there's something beautiful about the way the songs feel.
This is a gorgeous piece of work that really takes you for a bit of a journey and serves as an amazing escape.
I would suggest listening to this one all the way through, and one shot. Also, listening with headphones on is something that I normally suggest with records like this.
This way you don't miss out on some of the lyrics and also can soak in those layers of texture and tone I've been mentioning.
All of this stuff was very well thought out, but again, it has all of that heart attached to it.
So, don't waste any more time; jump into this record right now and see how it affects you, because I'm sure it will.
